


Hot Fossil Idiots Don't Know How To Handle The 4th of July

by AtHomeWithWords



Series: Hot Fossil Idiots [18]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: M/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-04
Updated: 2015-07-04
Packaged: 2018-04-07 15:20:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4268268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtHomeWithWords/pseuds/AtHomeWithWords
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the 4th of July, which means it's Steve's birthday. For decades, it hasn't been worth celebrating, until Tony's horrible overzealousness helps him realise it might just be worth it now.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hot Fossil Idiots Don't Know How To Handle The 4th of July

When Steve had been little, Bucky had convinced him that the 4th of July fireworks display was for his birthday, and that everyone was being nice to him on the street, giving him free sweets and little treats, because they couldn't afford much else for him.

He'd figured it out a few years later, but he'd appreciated Bucky's lie because it made the day feel better.

After his mom died, there weren't many celebrations. Just him and Bucky, sometimes Rebecca, with a single little cake for Steve and a matchstick because they couldn't afford any kind of special candle. It was a bit pathetic, but Bucky always made up for it with the art supplies he'd buy and how special he'd treat Steve at night.

When he woke up, it was insane.

4th of July parades including him were flooding the streets. He'd look out of the window and there'd be a huge balloon version of him floating with cartoon characters and American presidents in American flag suits. It was horrific, because he was alone.

After The Battle of New York, Natasha and Clint would come by in the day with presents, understanding how it felt to be alone on your own birthday. Not that Natasha remembered her real birthday, only the one assigned to her and the rest of the Black Widows from the project. At night, they'd drag themselves to Stark's party which was always over the top and overcompensating for the fact he had no idea what he was doing with people.

Clint suggested that the next year, they should go to his building and have a barbecue on the roof with his tenants. Steve had been apprehensive until he'd gotten there and realised none of them, except the kids, really cared that they were superheroes. They all called Clint “Hawkguy” and Clint's protege, Kate, kept her cool, despite the fact she was freaking out inside. It was nice, but it wasn't family.

 

Then Bucky had turned up, it had been a whirlwind, and they'd all forgotten about his birthday until Bucky woke up panicking about the 4th of July meaning something. He knew it had meant something, even if he was still fuzzy. They'd celebrated together, without the mass of strangers Tony usually invited, and it was a nice, quiet affair for a couple years.

 

Until Stark lost his shit.

 

Steve woke up on the 4th of July, 2015, to find an American flag spanning the expanse of the wall with the words _Happy Birthday, American Beauty_ printed on it. Considering Bucky was still asleep beside him and Tony wasn't pinned to the wall by multiple knives, Steve assumed he'd sent his robots through the vents to carry out his handiwork.

It only got worse from there. After ripping it down so he could get out, he found red, white, and blue streamers leading down the hall. Then, when he looked into the nursery, he found Emma in an Captain America onesie, chewing on a red, white, and blue teddy bear, and her whole room had flags and happy birthday streamers everywhere.

“Daddy!” Emma squealed, demanding to be picked up and abandoning the bear. “Look!” She ran her hand over the onesie with a grin. “Match!” She said, referring to his uniform.

“I guess you do,” he sighed, smiling for her as she awkwardly pulled the hood over to show a mask with eye holes cut out, just like his helmet. He turned to see his very unimpressed husband glaring at the monstrous decoration. “I hate Stark and his robots,” Bucky muttered before trudging away to find coffee.

A moment later, there was a shriek and Steve jogged with his giggling daughter to find what Bucky had been horrified by. The lounge was  _painted_ red, white, and blue. In the centre was a giant six tiered cake in the offensive colours, one layer decorated with icing shields that Emma wanted to grab and whined over when she couldn't escape her father's grasp. The furniture was draped with American flags, streamers, banners, flags, and such were hanging from the ceiling.

“What the hell did he do to my coffee machine?” Bucky snarled as it produced some _American_ frappe crap of colour instead of his beautiful black coffee.

“Uncle Tony silly,” Emma sighed with a smile as Steve carried her over. “Pretty!” She gasped at the red, white, and blue layers of the drink Bucky left abandoned on the counter. She dunked her fingers in and tasted it, scrunching up her face. “FRUIT!” She all but screamed in disgust. Intrigued, Bucky tasted it and pulled a face at it, too. “She's right. Who the hell wants fruity coffee in a morning?”

They were saved when Clint stumbled out of the elevator with his pot of coffee, pausing sleepily to look at the horrendous decoration, giving Bucky enough time to hop over the counter, slide across the floor, and snatch the pot. “Aw, coffee,” Clint whined, watching Bucky guzzle his drink.

Steve rolled his eyes and settled Emma in her high chair. The only food they had was Captain America pancake mix, an overly complex mess to create an edible shield. “Ooh! Daddy yes!” Emma demanded when she spotted the box, and to make matters worse, they only had blueberries, strawberries, and cream to decorate with.”When he shows his face...” Bucky trailed off from his threat, kissing Emma's head.

 

It  _really_ got worse from then on. After finding a retreat in the “family room” where, thankfully, there were no decorations, Tony decided it was time to announce through Friday, “Party tonight, 8pm, baby, hulk, and android friendly.” Vision looked up from his book, met Emma's eyes, shrugged at her, then looked back down. It had unnerved them in the beginning how Vision could communicate with Emma mostly silently, but they eventually got used to it. Technically Vision was younger than Emma.

 

The party  _was_ actually “everyone friendly”. The top floor of the Tower wasn't packed with strangers, just family, even if it was still decorated garishly. “STEVE!” Tony bellowed, flouncing toward them. “How do you like your floor?”

“Put it back,” Bucky demanded, glaring at him, but Tony ignored it. “It was... a nice thought,” Steve offered up politely and Tony grinned a him proudly, “ _but_ I think it'd be better if you... put it back.”

“It's making me murderous,” Bucky added quietly before helping Emma walk away from weird Uncle Tony.

“Should he-”

“Emma's the only thing stopping him strangling you,” Steve interrupted.

“As you were,” Tony bowed, waving a hand in Bucky's direction, then swanned off to find Pepper.

“This better be worth it,” Bucky muttered to him. “I know you like him, Buck,” Steve grinned, “it's why you're so hostile.”

“I'm hostile because every time I blink I can see red, white, and blue,” he hissed, bending over as Emma tugged his fingers and started walking around again.

 

It wasn't too bad, actually, despite everyone's hesitations. Presents were given, all nice ones, except Tony who said his presents were unsafe for young eyes (covering Vision's eyes in demonstration had resulted in a collective sigh). “If it's an American flag dildo, can we tell him we've already got one?” Bucky asked once they were alone, Emma safely in the hands of Vision, their silent conversation going well, judging by Emma's laughter and Vision's proud smile. “Don't we have three?” Steve frowned, counting. “No, one's a vibrator and the other's...” Steve hummed at Bucky's vague wafting gestures, nodding, neither noticing Tony behind them as he stared at their backs both disgusted and impressed.

 

Around 10pm, with Vision and Emma both asleep on the sofa sharing some sort of pleasant dream with Wanda watching over them, the gang crowded the balcony per Tony's request. At 10:32 precisely, the real time of Steve's birth (not midnight, like  _legend_ says), fireworks burst from the ground and lit up the sky. Vision and Emma, used to the explosions of Tony's lab and the outside terrors, didn't even flinch at the sounds.

It was over in half an hour, but left Steve feeling quite happy. It hadn't been as tacky as the decorations on their floor. It had been a nice display of colour. Honestly, he was surprised Tony hadn't invented one to make the shape of his face along with the one that made the shape of his shield.

“Thank you, Tony,” he whispered as they went back in. “Any time, pal,” Tony smiled back sincerely before pottering after Pepper. Bucky came up behind him, wrapping his arms around him. “I've still got your present in the bedroom, but I didn't want to get it until I was certain Stark's robots had taken all the stuff out. Steve grinned over his shoulder, “It wouldn't happen to be art supplies, would it?” Bucky scoffed unconvincingly but stopped spluttering when Steve kissed him a little awkwardly from the angle they were at. “I love it.”

“You don't even know what I've gotten you,” Bucky laughed, shaking his head.

Steve shrugged, “Still love it.” _Because I love you._  


Maybe this was what birthdays were about. Family, and horrific decorations.  



End file.
